Brigid illuminating Kildare Cathedral in 2020
HERSTORY SPARKS BRIGID’S HEALING LIGHT
Mná na hÉireann reclaim our sovereignty, sexuality and spirituality in the 2021 Herstory Light Show.
To celebrate Brigid’s Day the Herstory Light Show by Dodeca illuminated iconic landmarks across Ireland on Sunday 31st January and Monday 1st February in honour of the Mother & Baby Homes victims; Corona heroines and heroes, Black Lives Matter, Women who have Arrived, and Brigids of the World. The first of February marks the beginning of Spring and the Celtic festival of Imbolc, once honoured as the feast of the goddess.
Galway City Museum, St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare; Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea; Athlone Castle and Belvedere House in Westmeath and Birr Castle in Offaly illuminated to lift Ireland’s spirits and celebrate the return of the light. Click here to view the press release.
MAKING BRIGID’S DAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY
Herstory is calling on the Irish public and our diaspora to sign the petition to make Brigid’s Day a national holiday and celebrate Ireland’s triple goddess and matron Saint Brigid equally to our world-renowned patron Saint Patrick.
SPARKING BRIGID’S HEALING LIGHT
From the shadows into the light, iconic landmarks will illuminate in honour of the mothers and children who suffered in the Mother & Baby Homes; featuring portraits of the survivors by Karen Morgan, powerful haiku poems by Laura Murphy, and thought-provoking art from the Stay with Me Show curated by activist Rachael Keogh and journalist Alison O’ Reilly. Filmmaker Peter Martin captures this pilgrimage of light in Solas, a hauntingly beautiful film.
A specially commissioned photographic series entitled Sovereignty was created by photographer Myriam Riand and conceptual artist Áine O’ Brien, reclaiming and reimagining the mother archetype that has been historically dictated and defined by Church and State.
Now Mná na hÉireann are reclaiming our sovereignty, sexuality and spirituality.
The 2021 Herstory Light Show features four more timely themes, with a special tribute to the heroines and heroes of the pandemic: women and men who have battled the virus and the everyday heroes who have played a role in these challenging times including domestic violence services, teachers, farmers, shopkeepers, cleaners, bus-drivers, journalists, nurses, doctors, and more.
Herstory supports Black Lives Matter and gives the platform to the black community to celebrate historic and modern black heroines in Ireland and across the world. This is an opportunity to share your stories, challenges and insights on how we can co-create an inclusive, multi-cultural Ireland together.
The Women who have Arrived theme reimagines the crone archetype for a progressive world, honouring our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. In pre-Christian Ireland the crone was the most powerful of the three Celtic life archetypes and honoured as the time when a woman came into her true power and sovereignty. In contrast, today women over 50 are almost invisible in popular culture, overshadowed by an irrational fixation on youth and the maiden archetype.
Finally, Brigids of the World spotlights the fact that Brigid was a pan-European goddess long before she was a saint. A unifying force across Europe, she was celebrated from Spain to Turkey. In an open call artists were invited to capture the modern, multi-cultural Brigid in all her fiery glory. What are the issues close to her heart? How would she wield her fire to challenge corruption and injustice? As a master of the arts, what wisdom and insights would she share through her creativity?
You can follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube with the hashtags #Herstory #BrigidsDay from 6pm on Sunday 31st January until midnight on Monday 1st February.
A heartfelt thanks to the Women’s Fund at the Community Foundation for Ireland for funding this spectacular light show and lifting Ireland's spirits as we celebrate the start of Spring and the return of the light.